Grey-Bruce Boomers Spring 2023

THE BUCKET LIST
by Doug Archer
students and teachers to the staff of General
Dynamics, to the community and business volunteers.
Most of all, it was important to the Veterans.
“Every one of us wanted to be there, helping to
preserve this wonderful piece of military history.”
Opening the driver's hatch.
Working in 10-person crews, the volunteers worked
nearly every weekend – and many weekdays – for almost
a year, logging more than 10,000 hours. Virtually every
part of the Holy Roller had to be removed, sandblasted,
refurbished and then epoxy painted. Throughout
the project, Steve kept the world informed about
its preservation. Anointed the ‘Project Historian’
because of his passion for military history, he started
a blog, documenting the facelift, detailing the history
of the tank, and highlighting the stories of some of
the soldiers who fought with it.
“The tank and its crews were involved in some of the
most intense fighting in World War II,” Steve said.
“From the battles for the beaches in France, to the
taking back of German-occupied towns in Belgium
and Holland, to the final drive to the Rhine in what
is known as Operation Blockbuster. They were
courageous soldiers and I wanted to tell their stories
with this celebrated tank.”
When the Holy Roller finally departed the Fanshawe
College repair bay after its year-long revitalization, it
looked reborn.
Removal from Victoria Park, in London, Ont.
A lot of scarce components had to be sourced in
Europe, because most tanks from the Second World
War never came home. “Many were turned over to
the Dutch Army,” Steve said, “so we had to do a lot
of research to track them down and see if any parts
were still salvageable.”
Despite the difficulties, preserving the tank was a
labour of love for all involved, from the Fanshawe
“It was a very emotional moment. Standing there
with fellow Veterans and volunteers, and seeing
the amazing result of our tireless labour, was
overwhelming. It was also a very proud moment. For
the first time in over 75 years, the Holy Roller was
rolling under its own steam. We had accomplished
what we had set out to do!”
The tank was returned to Victoria Park on May 31, 2022,
and rededicated on June 5. It was quite the celebration,
with Veterans and military personnel, bands, and even
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